Sanding apparatus for highways



April 1941- E. w. BOWERS 2,238,788

SANDING APPARATUS FOR HIGHWAYS Filed Feb. 14, 1939 lilililggl g I g I 5 I 11g- .3. n z. 10

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Patented Apr. 15, 1941 Application February 14, 1939, Serial No. 256,302

4 Claims. 01. 275-7) This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in apparatus for spreading sand, gravel, cinders or the like on slippery highways to minimize the skidding of vehicles traveling thereover.

It has for one of its objects to provide an apparatus of this character which is so designed that it may readily be applied to and removed from a motor truck, and wherein its operating parts for distributing the material are driven from the truck.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sand spreading apparatus which is simple and efficient in operation.

Other features of the invention reside in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the sanding apparatus embodying my invention as applied to a truck for operation. Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken on line 2-2, Figure 1. Figure 3 is a vertical section taken substantially in the plane of line 3-3, Figure 1. Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of the spreader and drive connections thereof.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

This improved sanding apparatus has been designed more particularly for attachment to motor trucks for use by highway departments in facilitating the efi'icient application of sand or like material to the highways and minimizing the skidding of vehicles traveling over the same.

- In the preferred construction of the apparatus shown in the drawing, it consists of a hopper l adapted to be fed with sand or like material carried by the truck II, and provided at its upper end with hanger brackets l2 for detachably suspending the hopper at one side of the vehicle and preferably at a point forwardly of one of its rear wheels. In its bottom, the hopper has a sand discharge opening [3 and a slide valve I4 is suitably guided on the lower face of the hopperbottom for controlling the discharge of sand from the hopper, a suitable handle l5 being provided for shifting the valve to its open or closed position. Disposed below and in the general plane of the discharge opening, is a pendant laterallyswinging spreader l6 which is mounted on a horizontal rock shaft l1 journaled in bearings l8 pending from the hopper, and which shaft when rocked swings the spreader crosswise of the vehiale to distribute the sand uniformly over the highway. By preference, the opposite sidefaces of the spreader are provided with downwardlydiverging ribs or channel-ways I 9 which direct the sand beyond the opposite side edges of the spreader and fore and aft of the vehicle during its oscillating movements.

This spreader l6 may be actuated in any suit-,- able manner from a rotating part of the vehicle, such for example, as the rear wheel or axle, and to this end I provide a sprocket wheel 20 mounted on a shaft 2| journaled in suitable bearings applied to a bracket 22 extending from the lower end of the hopper H], such sprocket being connected by a chain 23 to a rotating part of the vehicle. Also journaled in this bracket 22 is a driven shaft 24 connected to the drive shaft 2| by bevel gears 25, and sewing also to transmit motion to a gear 26 meshing with a gear 21, fixed on such driven shaft. A crank 28 applied to one end of the shaft 24 and connected by a link 29 and rock arm 30 to the spreader-bearing-shaft l1, serves to oscillate the spreader. By this construction, as the motor truck travels over the highway, the. spreader is accordingly actuated to effectively distribute the sand over the highway in directions both crosswise and fore and aft of the spreader.

For the purpose of controlling the flow of sand from the hopper to one side or both sides of the spreader, I provide a slide valve 3| which is guided on the top face of the bottom Wall of the spreader and which has an opening 32 therein adapted to register with the discharge opening I3, so that in one position of the slide valve, the discharge opening is completely uncovered to enable the sand to flow on opposite sides of the spreader 16. In the other position of the valve 3|, the discharge opening 13 is partially closed thereby and the sand delivered to one side of the spreader, whereby the distribution of the sand may be concentrated where desired. The adjustment of this valve may be effected by a suitable handle 33'.

Arranged in the lower part of the hopper over its discharge opening I3 is an agitator 34 of any suitable construction which serves to keep the sand. in a loose condition. This agitator may be driven from the shaft 24 and for this purpose the gear 26 is connected by a link 35 with the agitator, whereby as the gear is rotated the agitator ing, a pendant laterally-swinging spreader disposed below said discharge opening for distributing the sand over the highway, and valve means operatively associated with said discharge opening and movable to a plurality of positions relative thereto for governing the flow of sand to one or both sides of the spreader.

2. An apparatus for sanding highways, comprising a material-receiving hopper adapted for attachment to a vehicle and having a discharge opening in its bottom, a pendant, latera1ly+swinging spreader'pivoted to the hopper and disposed below and in alining relation with said discharge opening for distributing the sand over the highway, said spreader having downwardly diverging ribs thereon for distributing the sand fore and aft, valve means applied to said hopper inoperative relation to its discharge opening for controlling the flow of sand therefrom and at one-or both sides of the spreader, an agitator arranged in the hopper over its discharge opening, a driven shaft, and operative connections between said shaft and said 'spreader'and agitator, respectively, for actuating suchparts during movement oithe vehicle over the highway.

'3. An apparatus 'for sanding highways, comprising a sand hopper having a discharge opening in its bottom, a pendant, laterally-swinging spreader pivoted below the bottom of the hopper and in alining relation with its discharge opening for intercepting and distributing the sand discharged therefrom at either side of the spreader and directly onto the highway, and means operatively connected to said spreader for imparting an oscillatory movement thereto, said spreader being completely exposed at its sides and edges and from Which the sand is discharged in directions tboth crosswise and fore and aft of the spreader.

4. An apparatus for sanding highways, comprising a sand hopper having a discharge opening in its bottom, a pendant, laterally-swinging spreader pivoted below the bottom of the hopper and in' aliningrelation with its discharge opening for intercepting and distributing the sand discharged therefrom at either side of the spreader and-directly onto the highway, and means operatively connected to said spreader for imparting an oscillatory movement thereto, said spreader being 'completely exposed at its sides and edges and having laterally-diverging sand-engaging means on its opposite side faces'for directing some of the sand laterally beyond the opposite side edges of the spreader.

EDWARD W. BOWERS. 

